Unseen food images capture the attention of hungry viewers : evidence from event-related potentials

Abstract

The current study investigated the influence of subconsciously perceived pictures of food on the deployment of spatial attention of healthy, normal-weight participants. During an object-substitution masking task, visual evoked potentials of the participants were recorded and the N2pc as a marker of spatial attention allocation was extracted. As a result, an enhanced allocation of spatial attention could be noted in response to subconsciously perceived pictures of food, but only when the participants were hungry. No such effect was found for consciously perceived pictures of food or for pictures of clothing items. The lack of an attentional capture during conditions of full visibility could be the result of a cognitive control mechanism that fails in light of subconscious perception. These results are relevant for the study of subconsciously perceived stimuli and how they influence human perception and decision making. They could contribute to the understanding of the pathogenesis of important diseases, for example eating disorders and obesity.